Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, Naruto, Peacemaker or Shinsengumi or Star Trek Voyager
Timeline: An Aoshi/Misao story set in canon approximately three years after the Jinchuu Arc
Author Note: In this chapter you will find that Aoshi is somewhat out of character. There is good reason! The wolves of Mibu (especially Shuhei Kondo) have sped up Aoshi's emotional reawakening and he's almost careening out of control. Have mercy!
Miai: formal Japanese date arranged for the intention of finding a marriage partner.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the only thing I am borrowing from Trek is Capt. Kathryn Janeway's last name. The actress who plays her is Ms. Kate Mulgrew. So the character of Mrs. Kate Janeway is actually loosely modeled after both the actress and the Trek captain, both of whom I admire greatly.
Just for clarification purposes, in Venezuela (it's where I grew up) when you sneeze for no medical reason it means someone is talking about you, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're saying bad things about you. This is in reference to Misao's sneezing fit in chapter two.
Part 3: The Plan
Omasu leaned against the kitchen door listening intently for Misao's footsteps to fade into the distance. Misao was usually the one who distributed the lunchtime trays to customers because she could linger and gossip. Or at least that's what it sounded like sometimes, but Misao was a clever young woman, by chatting with their customers she could ascertain their needs and promote the businesses in the city, in turn the businesses that profited from Misao's subtle marketing shared it with her by offering the Aoiya discounts on products or promoting the Aoiya's multi-lingual staff to foreigners, therefore increasing the inn's profits.
It was one the reasons she was so popular around Kyoto. It was one of the main reasons they'd all agreed Misao was the best leader for these times. Omasu for one was exceedingly proud of her and she knew the others were too. They all felt she deserved to have all the happiness she dreamed of 'it's only fair after all the things she does…especially for him! ' She thought. So she and Okon had vowed that they would bring Hannya's Plan to fruition somehow
"Ok she's gone!" Omasu turned to Okon who had Shiro and Kuro firmly rooted to their spots with her best matronly glare. Okina just sipped his tea and read his book, calmly pretending to ignore the youngsters.
"Alright you two! You were in a better position to see what was going on this morning so spill it!" Okon commanded as Omasu joined her. Shiro and Kuro looked up at them like frightened deer
"Well, we heard the same things you heard," Kuro began, sounding confused
"Yes! But we couldn't see!" Omasu emphasized, a touch of exasperation in her voice.
"Well, there really isn't anything to tell, she started crying and he held her, but that's it really," Shiro volunteered and drained the rest of his tea
"It's a good thing he was hugging her! I hate to see her cry!" Kuro added sadly
"Wait a minute! He held her?" Okon repeated incredulous and Omasu's eyes went wide. Aoshi never held anyone, at least not of his own free will! The most physical contact he ever engaged in voluntarily was hand-to-hand combat; but in those cases the recipient of the physical contact would've been happier never getting it.
"Yep! He dried her face too!" Shiro confirmed, "I hate to see her cry too!" he emphasized
"We all do!" Omasu agreed. Obviously both men were missing the implication in Aoshi's choice of response this morning. But first they had to make sure they had all the facts straight 'don't want to jump to conclusions! Especially not when we are so close!' she thought unable to hold back the excitement that was building in her chest
"Now, did she throw herself on him or did he pull her towards him?" she asked hoping the answer was the latter
"Well, she was standing by the counter with a teacup in her hand when she started crying, but I couldn't see Aoshi from my angle at first," Shiro answered, "he must've been sitting in that little dark corner that he likes so much," he concluded pointing to a shadowy corner of the kitchen
"But he got up, wrapped an arm around her and then they sat down in Misao's favorite spot in the center so they were much easier to see," Kuro added, "and then he just held her and stroked her back, kinda like Hannya used to!" he concluded, completely oblivious to any hidden meanings in Aoshi's out-of-character behavior. Omasu and Okon stared at each other mirroring each other's excitement as both women realized what a major step this was in The Plan.
"I think it's time for phase two," Okon declared excitedly Omasu nodded grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"We're gonna need help though!" Omasu added, "I think we better clue them in," she concluded looking at the confused faces of both Kuro and Shiro. Okina looked up from his book now with open interest in this turn in the conversation.
"All right people we all know how Misao feels about Aoshi, right!" Omasu began. Nods all around confirmed she wouldn't have to explain too much.
"Ok, I'll get straight to it! Nearly five years ago I got a letter from Hannya. He and the others were starting to get tired of Aoshi not being able to move on with his life…" Omasu began
"So they devised a plan which would eventually lead to the marriage of Aoshi and Misao, but as you all know there were several obstacles…" Okon added. And they went on taking turns explaining that Hannya had figured that Aoshi's inability to let go of them came down to the simple fact that he just felt responsible for their welfare and hated the thought of abandoning them in an era that had no place for them.
They were planning to destroy Kanryu, take all his money and return to Kyoto as triumphant heroes with plenty of money to retire. Hannya was planning to provide Misao's dowry but in order for their plans to work they had to wait until Misao was old enough to be married. In the meantime, he wanted Omasu and Okon to train Misao to be a perfect little bride and for that purpose he and the others had sent large amounts of money as well as some of the finest kimonos that could be found in all of Tokyo.
"Hannya loved her so much! He would've done anything for her…" Kuro remarked nostalgically as Shiro nodded in agreement mirroring the glum look on his pal's face
"Yes, and it would've worked except for…well what happened to them…" Omasu hesitated, " and that he returned with his soul in such a battered state," she whispered sadly
"And Misao was still so young and unprepared!" Okon added glumly,
"I'm surprised you didn't abandon the plan altogether," Okina concluded seriously, "So what's different now?" he asked, his curiosity piqued
"We did abandon The Plan! We even used the money Hannya sent to help repair the Aoiya when Fuji of the Destruction Army trashed it!" Okon added miserably. They had even gone as far as selling most of the kimonos to finance the reconstruction. The large amount of money created had allowed for the expansions and updates done to the Aoiya at that time.
"Only a couple of them are left now, a bridal kimono that's so exquisite I didn't have the heart to sell it and that beautiful blue one that Misao wore on her eighteenth birthday! We told her Hannya sent it before he died," she explained sadly. Okina nodded solemnly
"So that's where you two got all that money," he reasoned. The women fidgeted guiltily
"We've been working really hard to replace it this past year," Omasu quickly answered. Okina waved it off
"Don't worry about that! Misao's grandfather originally built the Aoiya so it rightfully belongs to Misao. You did the right thing. Now again, what makes you think things have changed," he asked curious as to what was motivating these women now because it couldn't just be the out-of-character behavior Aoshi exhibited this morning.
"Well, do you remember last year the fiasco in that miai at the Kaiba's?" Okon asked. The angry growls coming from Kuro and Shiro answered her question fairly quickly. Okina raised an eyebrow
The details to this day were still rather sketchy. Misao was uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the incident. The date had taken place at the gardens of the luxurious Kaiba Estate. Misao had wandered off with young Kaiba and all seemed to be going well, though Okina knew Misao would still never agree to marry Kaiba no matter how good a match it was. She had merely gone along with his attempts at marrying her off just to keep him happy.
All Okina knew of the event was that one minute the two were talking by the gazebo and the next Misao was screaming. She'd stormed back to where Okina and Kaiba's parents were and demanded to be taken home as she wiped furiously at her face with the sleeve of her kimono. Young Kaiba had been found unconscious at the steps of the gazebo.
Okina had been bitterly disappointed but what could he do. There was no argument now that could improve her views on the young men of Kyoto. There had been many prospects as soon as she turned eighteen and all from the very best families in Kyoto but each young man had been worst than the last, Kaiba had been the final straw! He really couldn't blame her…
"I do believe that he was the most rational one of us all. He received the news calmly and was very supportive of Misao in her decision to demonstrate her Oniwaban training on young Kaiba, even going as far as complimenting her on how well she was keeping up with her martial arts training, which made her very happy. He didn't lose his composure as some of us did," he emphasized looking pointedly at Kuro and Shiro who had nearly declared all out war with the Kaiba family. Not that he blamed them; Gozaburo Kaiba had thoroughly upset her, to the point where she had decided to never marry…ever!
"That's what you think!" Omasu replied excitedly, "I was so mad at him for not showing any emotion that I was gonna let him have a piece of my mind! I went to his room that night but he wasn't there! I caught a glimpse of him leaving from the back door so I followed him!" she began gleefully as everyone huddled around to listen…
Though Omasu specialized in stealthy pursuit she still found it difficult to keep Aoshi in sight but as she took notice of his route she could guess where he was going! It was a surprise at first since she, like the others, had completely bought his calm act during dinner when Okina explained what happened at the miai with the Kaiba's.
She took a shortcut to the Kaiba's estate and waited. Sure enough he showed up at the property and stealthily made his way in. She followed him as he searched the place for the room containing his target. She'd been surprised to see the satisfied smirk on his face when he found the man in a relatively isolated part of the house.
She listened to the man demand Aoshi identify himself…
She listened to the distinctive sound of bones cracking…
She listened as the man begged for mercy…
She risked getting closer so she could hear what Aoshi was saying. At this new distance she could hear the soft purr in his voice that had meant certain death to so many if they did not comply with his wishes and from the open window the bright light of the full moon showed her what was going on inside…
"This is your one and only warning so listen carefully Kaiba!" Aoshi began. The man whimpered and squirmed as he cowered in a corner cradling his freshly broken hands. Aoshi advanced on the man again and picked him up by the front of his night robe. Kaiba whimpered pathetically, fear clearly evident in his deathly pale face. Omasu caught a slight glimpse of what looked like a puddle of water in the corner Kaiba had just occupied
"Come near my Misao again and you'll know pain beyond description! Touch my Misao again and you'll pay for it with your life!" Aoshi hissed furiously and tossed the man back into his corner. Kaiba nodded vigorously in a lame attempt at appeasing Aoshi's wrath. The puddle around Kaiba grew as Aoshi took another warning step towards him advising him that if his visit caused any harm to come to the Aoiya or it's inhabitants, specifically his Misao, the entire Kaiba clan would suffer the consequences. Then he turned and left as swiftly and stealthily as he had arrived…
Omasu paused here, her heart thundered with the excitement of having followed him unseen that night. She waited for their reactions
"I can't believe he went and didn't take us with him," Kuro noted glumly. The women threw their hands up in the air and rolled their eyes in exasperation.
"Kuro, don't be an idiot! Don't you know what this means?" Omasu whispered harshly, trying to keep her voice low so Misao wouldn't hear. The Plan would be shot to pieces if either Misao or Aoshi found out what was going on
"Did he really say my Misao?" Shiro interrupted giving Omasu a suspicious look. Kuro mirrored Shiro's suspicious glance as far as he was concerned; women were strange and manipulative creatures that could get you into loads of trouble if you weren't careful and from the look on Omasu's face this whole thing was starting to look like trouble! He was not about to provoke either Aoshi or Misao, oh no siree!
"He said it! I heard him loud and clear!" she replied thoroughly offended at her Oniwaban hearing skills being questioned. Okina shook his head
"Still Omasu, that doesn't prove anything. Aoshi has always been protective of Misao and, as Kuro pointed out, Aoshi hasn't done anything that any of us wouldn't have done. He's always been possessive of her so it's possible that in his righteous anger he slipped, that's all," Okina reasoned. The two women rolled their eyes and Omasu opened her mouth to defend herself when a new voice spoke up
"Well then if he slipped he does so quite often and not just when he's angry," pointed out the newcomer. All five ninjas jumped two feet in the air!
"Mrs. Kate! Please don't sneak up on us like that!" Kuro begged as Omasu struggled to catch her breath thinking 'How in the world does she do it!' and the others tried to regain their wits. Okina was the first to recover
"Mrs. Kate! Please join us!" Okina called out excitedly as he roughly shoved poor Shiro out of the way to make room next to him for the foreigner. The old woman politely accepted the invitation, placing her tray next to Okina, then turned to apologize to the others for surprising them. Omasu rolled her eyes as Okina's brain turned to mush in the woman's presence and his attention was completely diverted from the main topic.
Mrs. Kate Janeway was an old American woman that Misao had met years ago on her very first attempt to find Aoshi. The old timer had convinced Misao to temporarily reconsider her hasty attempt. Thus, the tear-filled lonely little Misao had made a valuable and wise friend that day.
She travels all over the world collecting folk stories, learning languages and sharing her medical expertise. Her gentle voice and patient demeanor easily charms people. Her motherly wisdom had become priceless to Misao and the other women of the Oniwaban who had all been raised without the benefit of a mother. She had endeared herself to the point where the high-collared long-sleeved white shirts, plain gray skirts and the tight, severe bun in which she wrapped her gray hair no longer looked weird. She usually spends half the year in her ranch in the USA and the other half traveling all over the world, but since she met Misao she has been spending between five to seven months out of the year in Japan.
And for some reason that Omasu couldn't conceive even Aoshi had fallen under the old timer's spell. He listened very carefully to her advice and applied himself whole-heartedly to learning every language that she taught him. Omasu realized as Okon put Mrs. Kate up to date on the details of The Plan that if they could convince her to help then their chances for success greatly improve!
"A valid argument," Mrs. Kate began thoughtfully as Okon recounted their evidence, "however, both events could be interpreted as merely an older brother doing his brotherly duty," she pointed out logically. Okina nodded vigorously in agreement and Omasu's heart sank, that was the last thing she wanted to hear!
"That's exactly what I was going to tell them!" Okina added eagerly. Omasu rolled her eyes she was starting to wish she hadn't told them.
"So you see, those are not the reasons why I think this Plan will succeed!" she concluded a motherly smile blossoming on her face. Hope was renewed instantly in Omasu as she begged her to tell them what she thought.
"Do you remember the dress Aoshi-chan brought Misao-chan from the USA?" she began. Nods and chuckles all around confirmed she'd put everyone in the right frame of mind. "It's just too bad you were all too busy teasing the children about their new western wardrobe or you would have seen with your own eyes why you're instincts are correct girls!" she scolded, her soft melodious foreign accent taking the edge off the reprimand.
"Well, while you were being chastised and chased out of the room by your young Okashira I was watching Aoshi-chan carefully!" Once satisfied that she had everyone's attention she continued
"You see he agonized endlessly about what to get her during our tour and once he decided he worried constantly about whether she would like it or not!" she explained, "he spoke of nothing but her the entire time," she added. The women's excitement rose as they hung on Mrs. Kate's every word
"Of course, we all know she loved it, but did any of you see Aoshi-chan's reaction when she put it on?" she asked her tone and the knowing smile on her face clearly indicated she had seen it. They all watched her expectantly waiting for her to continue
"Well! What was it?" Omasu blurted out unable to contain her excitement. Mrs. Kate's expression became serious and thoughtful as she sipped her tea
"Well the symptoms were classic," she began in a clinical tone, "the quickening pulse, darkened irises, a dramatic rise in temperature, accelerated breathing, a slightly dropped jaw, an inability to look away and just so you know the things he was looking at are not things brothers look at!" she concluded in an authoritative tone.
She paused to sip her tea again quietly for a moment as she recalled the day of their return from the USA. More had occurred after they left the room but those moments seemed too intimate for her to share them. She had stopped things before they escalated because it seemed to her Aoshi was slowly allowing himself to be swept away by physical impulses. He wasn't really thinking of the emotional effect that an intimate physical contact would have on Misao, in fact, she would bet her ranch that he wasn't thinking at all! A potentially disastrous situation since Aoshi is still in denial about how he really feels about her.
"Of course it's worthy to note that this is not an isolated incident! Your attempts to give Misao-chan a more feminine appearance have had a similar effect lately but he has been more careful to conceal it," she added solemnly. Omasu grinned from ear to ear, she mentally kicked herself for totally missing that important clue, but just the same if Mrs. Kate said The Plan would work then she believed it!
"And that isn't the only reason," she continued, "Have you ever watched them when they're together? Aoshi-chan is relaxed when she's near him, in fact, you could even say he's happy when she's there. His expression isn't as guarded and the sorrow and loneliness in his eyes vanishes at the sound of her voice. He listens carefully to anything she says and he remembers every detail of the times they spend together. He's always keenly aware to every change she exhibits and makes sure to let her know that he's noticed, especially when no one else does!" Mrs. Kate explained. "But most of all he never treats her like a child! Something all of us are guilty of doing," she emphasized
Omasu and Okon stared at the old woman with open admiration 'Boy! She would've made an awesome ninja!' Omasu thought amazed by the amount of insight the old foreigner had gathered in the relatively short time she'd known Aoshi. Omasu mentally kicked herself for not letting Mrs. Kate in on The Plan much sooner. 'We could be planning a wedding by now!'
"Mrs. Kate, you said that he always calls Misao 'my Misao', but I've never heard him say it?" Shiro interjected dubiously, Kuro nodded in agreement. The guys still weren't buying into 'The Plan'.
"Well, he usually doesn't do it in Japanese, usually in English or French, mostly in Spanish and really to anyone who happens to ask him about her in a language other than Japanese," she replied thoughtfully, "I don't know why though…"
"Well, then Mrs. Kate, isn't it possible that it may just be a misuse of the language?" Okina countered politely but regretted it immediately when faced with a mighty glare from Mrs. Kate.
"Mr. Okina, if there is anything I am supremely confident of is my students' skills!" she retorted in an icy tone, "and as far as Aoshi-chan is concerned he is the most gifted language student I have ever trained!" she added her tone clearly daring him to challenge her further. Okina quickly tried to backpedal
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to question…"
"I suppose next you will be asking me how I noticed his physical reactions to her when nobody else has!" she interrupted sounding thoroughly offended. "And perhaps you'll ask me how is it that I know so much about the mind of my student!" she continued defensively, growing more and more irritated by the second.
Okina sipped his tea quietly responding with a barely perceptible nod not daring to look at the woman in the eye. Mrs. Kate could be quite formidable and capable of verbally skewering anyone especially in the defense of a student and her knowledge of said student. Her wrath was not to be incurred! It surprised the girls that Okina was actually opposing her given the serious crush the man had on her.
"I'm sure it's because of your medical training, isn't it?" Okon asked in an attempt to save Okina from Mrs. Kate's verbal lashing
"Very good child!" she replied, smiling at Okon her mood brightening again instantly, if there was one quick way to make Mrs. Kate happy it was by demonstrating that you're actually paying attention when she's speaking
"Yes, as you know I spent many years working for army hospitals in the US, especially during the civil war and I have learned to discern even the smallest change in a person's condition through mere observation and I have been teaching for many, many years and have developed ways to extend those same observational skills to reading my students!" she elaborated then glanced at Okina as he blushed and buried his face in his teacup. She sighed
"Mr. Okina, I understand you're reluctance," she began gently, "it all sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?" she asked gently
"I don't want to see her hurt again," Okina replied softly, she patted him reassuringly on his shoulder
"I know and that is exactly what makes him reluctant to admit what he's feeling," she sighed and took another sip of her tea before continuing,
"He doesn't feel that he deserves her love because of what he put her through, he doesn't realize that she has long since forgiven him and that being loved isn't about what you think you deserve to receive, it is about what you're willing to give," she shrugged
"Their story is one I have seen repeated many times before," she concluded with a smile on her face and a far away look in her eyes
"Well put Mrs. Kate! I'll start planning the wedding!" Okina added excitedly trying to liven the mood. Mrs. Kate rolled her eyes
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Mr. Okina! They still have a long way to go," she replied but smirked in amusement and just liked that their disagreement vanished. Smiling, Okina poured more tea in her cup
"So what would you suggest we do now Mrs. Kate?" Okon asked eagerly, Omasu watched her expectantly.
"Well, very little at this point. Perhaps enlisting the assistance of a close female friend of her age might help in the effort to keep her looking her best, we all know she can be less than feminine sometimes…" she replied thoughtfully, "beyond that there is nothing we can do but wait and watch for any opportunities in which we could give them a little push in the right direction!" she winked conspiratorially and sipped her tea
"But remember that meddling in affairs of the heart, if not done properly, could be detrimental to the couple in question," she advised gravely as she stood up gracefully and politely excused herself from the group, Okina nodded his agreement. "I trust you're both aware of the consequences if you push too hard!" Both women agreed solemnly with their minds already working on possible candidates to bring in to their little confidence group.
Shiro and Kuro, feeling a bit like fish out of water in this conversation, decided to keep their mouths shut, they didn't feel at all comfortable interfering. Both believed that Aoshi and Misao would get to it when they were ready and meddling was not advisable. Pissing either of them off was bad for ones health anyway so they firmly resolved to stay out of it somehow. They quickly downed the last of their tea and politely excused themselves to return to their duties.
Mrs. Kate bowed, thanked them all for their company and left saying she had some arrangements to make for her trip to Aizu next week and that she'd be back soon. Okina jumped up from his seat and happily followed her out of the kitchen offering to assist her in making her arrangements. She agreed amicably and the two were off as Mrs. Kate detailed her plans to meet with Megumi and again trade medical experience with the clever young doctor.
As if she'd been waiting for her cue a youthful, feminine voice rang out from the door. 'Sakura! Of course!' Omasu thought excitedly as she rushed to the door. The girl was one of the most intelligent and fashionable young women in all of Kyoto! 'Perfect! Sakura is very girly and a hopeless romantic! She'll help us!' she thought as Sakura walked in grinning widely with Naruto and Sasuke at either side of her. She walked them all to the kitchen and offered them lunch as she called for Misao…
Misao arrived in the kitchen and was happy to see all her friends. As she sat down to talk and eat lunch with Naruto and Sasuke Omasu silently beckoned Sakura away. Motioning for her to be silent she took the girl's wrist and rushed her away from the kitchen to Okon's room. Once inside the two women huddled around Sakura
"Sakura we need your help!" Okon whispered excitedly being extremely mindful of Misao's Oniwaban hearing range. Sakura just glanced from one woman to the other in confusion 'Why would ninjas need help from me?' she wondered. She was all book smarts after all and knew very little of martial arts beyond the few self defense techniques Misao had taught her but all became clear as Omasu and Okon ran through a quick explanation of 'The Plan'.
"That is sooo sweet! No wonder Misao loved them so much! Hannya especially!" Sakura whispered dreamily
"So you'll help us?" Omasu whispered gleefully
"Oh, you bet!" Sakura replied enthusiastically and the three women huddled together and made their plans…
Aoshi was glad he didn't have to go to work tomorrow the confrontation with Shuhei had left him flustered and confused. It greatly upset him to realize that everything he knew about Shuhei he had learned it from Misao! In fact, many of his recent conversations with her had always included some information about Mr. Tani! He recalled now her showing him a beautiful emerald hairpin of a foreign design that she said he gave her as a birthday present. It made his blood boil!
'Snap out if it Aoshi!' he scolded himself as he realized that his distraction had caused him to make a wrong turn. When Misao had first told him about Shuhei, he hadn't thought anything of him after all she had said he was an old member of the Shinsengumi, so he simply assumed he was like Saito. It surprised him how much the man's personal interest in her upset him and his brain kept classifying him as a threat.
'Misao's a good judge of character she wouldn't let him stay at the Aoiya if he were dangerous,' he mused 'I'm probably more dangerous to her than him,' he reflected but shook the thought off. He had expressed a similar thought to her on the train ride back to Kyoto after the incident with Enishi and his gang. He smiled as he remembered, her voice suddenly blocking the noise around him…
"Lord Aoshi, the only thing I ever feared you would do to me was that you would leave me, and you did it twice. I know both times you did it to protect me, so it's ok. You've always done what was best for me. I trust you!"
He had promised her he'd never leave her again and she smiled brightly at him joy dancing in her eyes. She'd made a joke about men making promises to pretty girls that they don't intend to keep and the worried look on his face prompted her to make many jokes about how seriously he always took everything. The rage and guilt of his friends' deaths had eased then and he had finally felt at peace with himself.
She had been happy the whole way despite their "special cargo" or perhaps because of it. She had after all accomplished her goal and found those she cared about most and brought them home with her. In fact, his promise had caused him to nearly leave his job at the ministry when they asked him to go to America, but Misao insisted that it would be a great opportunity for him so he'd reluctantly agreed to go.
"What's happening…" heaskedhimselfand frowned. The memory had caused an unfamiliar tightness in his chest. He stopped for a moment to examine this new sensation. Suddenly his mind was flooded with images of her! In his memories she smiled, she laughed, she sang, she danced and she even cried and all of it abruptly made him feel… alive! He didn't know how else to describe it. He felt as though a void had suddenly been filled. A new power seemed to course through him making him feel stronger than he'd felt in years!
He hurried now through the streets of Kyoto, rushing to get to the Aoiya as soon as possible, spurred into maximum speed by a sudden urge to see her. The memory of Misao twirling about the room in the powder blue satin gown he brought her from America suddenly blocked out all the other memories spinning around in his head. He remembered how the skirt had billowed around her as she spun and she laughed as she watched how the unfamiliar material moved. His heart thundered in his chest as he recalled how her hair had flow about her head and her eyes glittered with mirth. The low cut bust line of the dress had accentuated every curve she'd acquired in the past three years.
The sound of her voice blocked all the noise around him again as he recalled how she'd cheerfully thanked him again and again for all the gifts he brought her. She wound up the music box he gave her time and time again and twirled around the room endlessly imitating the ballerina in the box. She'd tried on the rose-scented perfume he gave her and that scent had remained with him for days. He recalled how the skirt draped around the two of them as she threw her arms around him.
'I'm so happy you're back safely, Lord Aoshi!' she had joyfully exclaimed. She sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned against his chest. 'I'm so glad you're back safe!' she had repeated softly. His arms had unconsciously wrapped around her. He marveled at how soft her hair was as his fingers became lightly tangled in it. Her face was turned up towards him but her eyes had remained closed. The scent of the rose perfume slowly eroded his self-control and her lips had seemed so warm and inviting. Slowly he had moved towards them…
A harsh racking cough coming from a passing monk jolted him suddenly out of his reverie. An old man paused momentarily at the bottom of a long staircase as he tried to catch his breath before beginning the long climb. 'And that's exactly how things had ended then too…' he recalled. Mrs. Kate had been on her way out of the room but stopped and coughed loudly, wheezing dangerously. Misao had shot up, her concern for the old woman's health putting her at his teacher's side in an instant and safely out of Aoshi's reach.
'I'm all right dear…the tea just went down the wrong way, that's all!' Mrs. Kate had assured her then suggested that Misao ought to put her kimono back on or she might catch a cold, the weather was still a little too cold after all for a summer dress. Misao had cheerfully agreed, innocently oblivious of what had almost transpired between her and Aoshi. As she gathered her gifts she paused for a moment
'Lord Aoshi, are you alright?' she had innocently inquired when she saw him hunched over with his forehead resting heavily on his raised knee. His breathing had been ragged, his face flushed. At Misao's urgent beckoning Mrs. Kate had turned back into the room and knelt in front of him. Her old gnarled hand reached for his chin and pulled his face up. Her other hand touched his forehead. She examined him with clinical detachment and out of the corner of his eye he could see Misao's worried face as Mrs. Kate reached her swift diagnostic.
'Just a case of travel fatigue child nothing to worry about!' she concluded with a reassuring smile towards Misao who breathed a sigh of relief. She prescribed a cool bath to lower the fever and plenty of rest. Misao quickly volunteered to prepare the bath for him but Mrs. Kate had taken that duty from her and sent her instead to change and get his dinner ready. Unquestioning, Misao had jumped up to follow the doctor's orders and they'd both left the room leaving him alone to silently reprimand himself for his unforgivable lapse.
He shook his head 'No, this isn't how Lord Makimachi would've wanted me to protect her,' he scolded himself. He trotted up to the old monk making his way very, very slowly up the stairway and offered him assistance. The old man gratefully accepted and Aoshi loaded him onto his back then briskly made his way up the long stairs. The brief exercise had the same effect of clearing his mind as that ice cold bath that day.
The old monk complimented him on how short his speed had made the long staircase seem as they quickly reached the top. He thanked Aoshi for his help and told him he would offer a prayer for Aoshi's continued good health and vigor. Aoshi gratefully accepted both his compliment and his prayer and walked towards the offering box. He dropped all the coins in his pocket in the box and put his hands together in prayer
'Lord Makimachi I know you would've wanted better for your little ninja princess than an old wolf or a blood-stained demon. I will not falter! This time I will not fail! I will protect your innocent angel from all those unworthy of her, including myself!' he promised fervently to the spirit of his mentor wherever it may be. And as for the new "power" he felt, well, he would simply call it "determination" and leave it at that. He turned, bowed to the old monk and ran back down the stairs
'Trust in me Master! I will protect her!' he promised firmly as he raced back towards the Aoiya…
When he finally arrived at the Aoiya given his current state of mind he was slightly relieved to find that Misao was not there. He stopped Okon to ask her where she'd gone. He wasn't surprised to hear that she was with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura at Sakura's house. Saito had informed him that the cadets involved in the incident yesterday had been given a couple of days paid leave. He turned to leave but paused…
"Okon, How often did Mr. Tani come to the Aoiya while I was gone?" he called back. She stopped and turned around with a mildly surprised look on her face.
"At least twice a month, I think. I can't recall how many days he stayed each time, sometimes it seemed like he hadn't left at all! I can double-check the records, why?" she answered, sounding a bit confused.
"No, that won't be necessary, I was just curious, that's all," he answered blandly though he did not like the answer, 'I will check the records later though,' he added to himself. The number of his visits last year alone was four times greater than the first year he'd begun coming to the Aoiya. No, he did not like it at all!
"Just out of curiosity, does Misao spend a lot of time with Mr. Tani? More so than with the other regular guests, I mean," he inquired trying to sound casual though "casual" is not something he could do well. Okon's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to recall but slowly she shook her head.
"Not really, you know Misao, she likes to make friends with everyone who comes in here!" she replied in a slightly amused tone. Aoshi nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but instead he nodded in agreement and turned to leave.
"Well except for that one time…" she began thoughtfully, she tilted her head to one side and tapped her cheek pensively. Aoshi turned back and waited for her to continue 'I have a bad feeling about this…' he thought
"Well, there was that time when they went to the cemetery together. They spent almost the whole day together… I think he treated her to lunch but I can't remember…" Okon explained but her account came to a screeching halt as she took in the look on Aoshi's face. The word "Angry" was a severe understatement!
"She went to visit their graves with him!" he repeated unable to contain an angry growl. Okon barely nodded, unable to keep from staring at him. The look on her face between surprised and amazed. Embarrassed by his outburst he turned on his heel and didn't wait for an answer
"Thank you Okon! Sorry to bother you…" Aoshi called back icily over his shoulder as he stalked off to his room.
'Smooth Aoshi! Way to be casual!' he scolded himself angrily for losing control in front of Okon. But what was more upsetting was the fact that Mr. Tani had yet again trespassed. This however was the worst offense yet! The day trip to the cemetery was his time! He didn't go to visit them with anyone but her and she didn't go with anyone but him.
"Until now!" he growled to himself. He slammed the door closed behind him as he entered his room. He ripped off his jacket and roughly tossed it aside. He paced from one end of his room to the other brusquely removing his vest and tie as he did. Normally, he didn't indulge in such fits but today he couldn't seem to get a handle on all the conflicting emotions that were running rampant through his heart and strangely enough the tantrum actually seemed to be helping.
'Well, it's not like we have some formal contract!' he reproached himself trying to sound reasonable as he roughly removed his shirt and continued to pace. But in fact, none of the others ever offered to come along with them because there was simply an unspoken agreement that the cemetery trips were their special time. In the beginning, their trips to Hannya and the others' graves were simply a quick trip to the cemetery to leave flowers then spend the rest of the afternoon at the temple praying.
But that had soon ended because the austere atmosphere of the temple's meditation chambers forced Misao to be extremely quiet and very still a situation that he quickly realized he could not tolerate because he liked hearing her singsong, cheerful voice. So instead he suggested that every time they went to the cemetery they should always plan to do something other than going to the temple afterwards. Misao had joyfully agreed and their plans quickly became elaborate enough that they'd make an entire day of it. At first she'd get up early and pack a special lunch for the two of them but once he started working at the ministry he simply treated her to lunch at the Sukabeko knowing how much she liked the place and how she hated getting up early.
'I bet that wolf just insinuated himself along!' he seethed knowing Misao couldn't ever say no to a friend, he made a mental note to ask her when she returned, 'like a starved wolf stalking a defenseless lamb!' he raged, in his mind Shuhei's face popped up smiling at him as if to taunt him, 'well this shepherd knows how to deal with hungry wolves, Shuhei Kondo!' his wrath reaching an all time high. He paused for a moment on his rampage as his foot landed on something small, flat and round. He lifted his foot to look at what he had stepped on
'Oh no…' he sighed heavily as he reached down and picked up the small object he'd just stepped on. He looked at his waist and realized the top two buttons of his pants were missing. A slight pang of guilt hit him as he surveyed the damage he'd done to his clothes. The buttons on his jacket and vest were miraculously intact but the two bottom buttons of his shirt were also missing.
He cursed softly as he set about gathering his clothes; folding them neatly and hanging his jacket on the special rack Misao had gotten Kuro to make for it and his trench coat. He searched around his room for the missing buttons and placed them carefully on top of his shirt. He removed his pants and folded them neatly placing the missing buttons on top. Another pang of guilt hit him as he realized who would be the one to fix his clothes later.
"Great…" he mumbled irritated feeling the heat of embarrassment rising in his face. He knew Misao would never ask him what happened and she would cheerfully set about her task without asking for anything in return. It aggravated him further to realize that he never fully appreciated any of the things she did for him. That was one situation that he would correct starting today!
He chuckled as he realized the irony of it. He was supposed to be taking care of her but in fact it was the other way around. When he'd gotten tired of just sitting around praying and meditating she'd talked him into learning languages with Mrs. Kate, when she noticed his desire to contribute in the Aoiya's welfare she found him the job at the ministry. She went out of her way to make sure that nothing disturbed the order of his world. He looked over to his desk and found both his yukata and his shinobi outfit clean and neatly folded sitting side by side on top of it.
'She knew I would get off early so she left my ninja suit out in case I wanted to go workout,' he sighed feeling humbled again by her thoughtfulness. He swore he would find some way to reciprocate her many considerations as he took the ninja uniform and put it on feeling the need to liberate all this restless energy in a slightly less destructive way. He opened the door to his room and headed towards the training hall…
Okon rushed into the study where Okina and Mrs. Kate were playing a game of Go dragging a breathless Omasu behind her.
"You will never believe what just happened!" both women practically yelled, breathlessly Omasu encouraged Okon to tell them what had happened in the hallway with Aoshi. In excruciating detail Okon recounted word for word and action for action her brief conversation with Aoshi.
"Well this is interesting…" Mrs. Kate began thoughtfully and asked them to clarify exactly whether Misao did invite someone other than Aoshi on her visit to their graves. Okina explained that Misao had gone alone but had run into Shuhei on her way out of the cemetery where he was leaving flowers on his brother's grave. He'd offered to buy her lunch at a noodle stand near the cemetery where she rendezvoused with Sakura and the boys. Sasuke and Naruto had been on leave and about to go into their special weapons training so Misao had invited him to spend the afternoon with her and her friends since he had no where to be that day and seemed a bit depressed.
"As you both know Misao doesn't like to leave anyone out, especially if they're feeling down!" Okina reprimanded. They both fidgeted guiltily as Mrs. Kate and Okina leveled them with a reproving glare. These were details neither Okon nor Omasu knew because like everyone else at the Aoiya, they had tuned Misao out when she tried to tell them about her day. In fact, Aoshi was the only one who actually listened all the time.
"This is not good!" Mrs. Kate began, "forgive me for being blunt but if you girls wish for Aoshi to change in the way he treats Misao then you should take a good look in the mirror and change they way you treat her! Lead by example!" she sighed in exasperation, "now you may have forced a confrontation between Mr. Shuhei and Aoshi that may cause Aoshi a great deal of embarrassment and Mr. Shuhei a great deal of pain!" she lectured and shook her in disapproval
"Not to mention that Mr. Shuhei might misinterpret the situation, Misao will lose a friend and we'll lose a very good customer!" Okina scolded. The women hung their heads in shame, who knew that tuning out their over-eager Okashira while she talked their ears off would come and bite them in the butt so viciously later.
"Exactly!" Mrs. Kate agreed, "fortunately for us Aoshi is a cautious young man and will likely check his facts with Misao before doing anything about it, once he's calmed down, that is," she reasoned logically, "the damage is not irreparable and some good may come from it," she concluded
"Yes, at the very least Aoshi may start communicating with Misao a little more openly and it won't be long before they figure things out for themselves after that," Okina added solemnly. Mrs. Kate and Okina watched the two girls sitting quietly looking like chastised little children and took pity on them
"But in all fairness, we really have to admit that it is encouraging. At least Aoshi is starting to admit that he feels," Okina stated a little smirk of amusement tugging at one side of his mouth. Okon and Omasu looked up hopefully
"True enough, as long as he's remembering how to love," Mrs. Kate paused and mirrored Okina's amused smirk, "then it probably won't hurt for him to be a little jealous…"
Somewhere on the roof of the Aoiya, Shiro and Kuro happily went about their business of repairing a few loose shingles…
"Hey Kuro! What's up with Aoshi today?" Shiro asked, looking from his work for a moment. Kuro looked up pausing for a moment
"What do you mean?" he asked a bit confused at the same time hoping his buddy wasn't thinking about joining in with the girls and their crazy matchmaking schemes.
"I just passed over his room and heard him throwing stuff, pacing, cursing…you know non-Aoshi stuff," he replied going back to his work.
"Oh, that! Well I just overheard him talking to Okon and he got pretty steamed when she told him Misao went to the cemetery with Tani," Kuro shrugged, Shiro looked up from his work again
"But I thought she went alone and ran into him afterwards?" Shiro asked confused
"She did and she just felt sorry for him and invited him to hang out with her and her friends but you know how the girls are, they always tune her out," Kuro explained simply not pausing from his work
"Oh, I see," Shiro began as he resumed his work, "well, I hope Aoshi's finally figured out Tani's trying to put the moves on Misao!"
"Yeah but you gotta hand it to the guy though he's real patient and real smooth," Kuro admitted
"No kidding! If Aoshi doesn't get up off his butt Tani's gonna run off with his woman!" Shiro pointed out and shook his head wondering why in the world his two Okashira had to make everything so complicated…
Author note: Kuro, Shiro I couldn't have said it better myself! They really need to start communicating here! And seriously I set out to write a story about Misao and Aoshi and know I'm coming up with all this character development for the people around them. Well, I guess it's because I felt the need to really clean house! It seemed to me that Misao isn't really taken very seriously sometimes by her comrades because of the way she is so I set about explaining some things. Like Kuro and Shiro, they know what's going on but would rather stay out of it, they're simple-minded guys after all. Okon and Omasu are too busy planning and plotting to notice that things right under their nose. And so I introduced an outside Sage who can see things a little more objectively and give people a good grounding when they take off on flights of fancy!
Autumndays: I am so glad you've enjoyed my writing thus far! Hang in there! The ending is going to be killer!
Keep reading and reviewing everyone! Any and all criticism is welcome and appreciated. Thank you!